US launches ninth night of strikes on Iran as oil prices surge past $90

The US military launched a ninth night of strikes targeting Iran early Monday, announcing another American service member killed, as the price of Brent crude oil climbed above $90 a barrel, the highest since June.

The service member died Saturday in northern Iraq during a controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance on a downed Iranian attack drone, the US military said. President Donald Trump, returning to Washington after the World Cup final, stated: "We hit them very hard again tonight," adding it was done "in honour of the, probably three, it's probably three great patriots." This marks the third US military death in recent days, following two killed in an Iranian attack on a Jordanian airbase Friday.

As strikes began Monday, a ship caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz near Oman's coast, according to the British military. The cause of the blaze was unclear. Iran's Revolutionary Guards later claimed two oil tankers were blown up while attempting to transit the southern route of the strait, though there was no independent confirmation.

An interim deal intended to end the fighting last month has crumbled, and shipping traffic through the strait has largely stalled. Iran continues retaliatory strikes against US-allied countries, with sirens heard in Bahrain early Monday. The US embassy warned of possible attacks in central Manama.

The Revolutionary Guards also claimed a "surprise attack" on an enemy command center in Syria's Al-Tanf region. After Iran targeted sites in Jordan on Sunday, Israel warned of spillover across its borders. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Sunday: "If Iran fires missiles at Israel, we will attack them with full force." The US is expected to send dozens of additional refueling planes to Israel.

Trump has threatened to target Iran's power stations and bridges to compel Tehran to loosen its hold on the Strait of Hormuz. Last week, the US reimposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports, halting its crude oil shipments. Since then, the military said it had redirected six ships and disabled one.

Oil prices rose at the opening of Asian trading Monday, with Brent crude climbing 2.72% to $90.50 a barrel.

Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei warned of "unforgettable lessons" if the US continued attacks. An Iranian negotiator said Tehran was suspending its commitments under the interim deal, accusing the US of violating it. Half of the 60-day period set for negotiating a permanent end to the war and addressing issues including Iran's nuclear program has passed.

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright defended the administration's strategy, arguing the mission has shifted to ensuring oil shipments through the strait. "We did a pause to try to get an agreement with the Iranian people to allow oil to flow without them attacking it. They've proven unwilling to do that, and we've pivoted. Now, what we're doing is assuring that that oil and gas and other products can flow through the Strait of Hormuz with or without Iranian cooperation," Wright said.